Behind the Curtain: Why Employers Don’t Follow Up on Your Job Application
There’s no getting around it: Applying for jobs can be a lonely and frustrating process. If you’ve ever experienced any of the following events, you are not alone:
1. You submit your job application and receive a perfunctory “don’t call us, we’ll call you” e-mail back. You’re still waiting…
2. You get invited to interview. They tell you they will be making a decision next week. You’re still waiting…
3. You get asked for your references. Your references are called. You’re still waiting…
No matter how far you progress in the process — whether you’re asked for references or never even hear back on your application process — the silence of not hearing back from employers is difficult: It is ego-bruising, frustrating and most decidedly un-fun. In fact, StartWire was created to give you access to more information on your job application status where it’s available. We believe you have the right to know what’s happened to your application — throughout the job search process. Through our Application Connect program and sponsorship of the Candidate Experience Awards, we’re encouraging employers and hiring managers to treat job applicants like customers — not like the worst blind date they’ve ever had!
We’ve interviewed many companies who “get it” and who treat applicants like guests who deserve to be communicated with throughout the employment application process — from when you apply to when, and if, you are not selected. Smart companies, recruiters and hiring managers roll out the red carpet for every applicant — not just the ones who get the job. They recognize that even if they don’t have the right job for you now, they may need you later. They treat you as you wish to be treated, even if they don’t have the job for you now. Companies who are particularly good at this include Adidas, General Mills, Google, and Herman Miller.
Starting today, we’re kicking off a series designed to give you more than a glimpse on what happens behind the hiring curtain. Our goal is to demystify the process: From why it takes so long to get a job offer even when a company is ready to hire you to what it means when a job ad disappears and reappears with the same title, but a different job description.
In the weeks ahead, we’ll be delving into specifics of what happens behind the curtain. Today, we begin with the job search equivalent of the dating aphorism, “sometimes the reason you don’t hear back has nothing to do with you — it’s all them!” Got a question? Please write a comment below or send us a private message through our Feedback channel.
It’s hard not to take it personally when you don’t hear back about a job, but often, there are a host of reasons you aren’t called that have nothing to do with you. From different perceptions on “what the ideal candidate should look like” inside an organization to changing corporate financial performance, goals, and even nepotism, hiring can be complicated.
We’ll delve into this, but as always — one of the best ways to ensure you stay in the game is to continue putting yourself out there — even when you haven’t heard back as you hoped. So even if you think a job offer is a virtual certainty, don’t be afraid to pursue more opportunities in the short term — having an abundance of options is rarely a bad thing! So get out there in the application pool, let us know what you’d like to know more about, and hold your head up high.
